Good morning,

This week we are looking forward to Memorial Day weekend. So I thought it might be fitting to see what the Bible says about memorials.

A memorial is an object which serves as a focus for memory of something, usually a person (who has died) or an event. The most common type of memorial is the gravestone or the memorial plaque. Also common are war memorials commemorating those who have died in wars.

Each day this week we will look a memorial or something God has told us to remember. Today is Purim.

The feast of Purim 

The fifth memorial can be found in Esther 9:28.

“And that these days should be remembered and kept throughout every generation, every family, every province, and every city; and that these days of Purim should not fail from among the Jews, nor the memorial of them perish from their seed.”  (Esther 9:28)

In the book of Esther you may remember that Mordecai refused to bow to Haman, who was the king’s favorite. As a result, Haman made plans to massacre the Jews on a fixed date. Mordecai went to Queen Esther and persuaded her to intercede with the king. Queen Esther invited the king and Haman to a banquet. At the banquet Queen Esther reveals Haman’s plans to massacre the Jews, and Haman is hanged on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Since the edict for the massacre cannot be revoked, the king sends a edict allowing the Jews to defend themselves. The Jews take advantage of this to kill their enemies. The deliverance is commemorated at the feast of Purim.

The special feast continues to be celebrated by Jews to this day to celebrate their deliverance from Haman’s destruction through Queen Esther’s actions.

CONCLUSION:

Memorials are for:

Remembrance

Worship

Learning

Teaching

 

Good morning,

This week we are looking forward to Memorial Day weekend. So I thought it might be fitting to see what the Bible says about memorials.

A memorial is an object which serves as a focus for memory of something, usually a person (who has died) or an event. The most common type of memorial is the gravestone or the memorial plaque. Also common are war memorials commemorating those who have died in wars.

Each day this week we will look at a memorial or something God has told us to remember. Today is Feast of Tabernacles.

Feast of the Tabernacles

The fourth memorial is found in found in Leviticus 23:39-43.

“Also in the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when ye have gathered in the fruit of the land, ye shall keep a feast unto the Lord seven days: on the first day shall be a sabbath, and on the eighth day shall be a sabbath.⁴⁰ And ye shall take you on the first day the boughs of goodly trees, branches of palm trees, and the boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook; and ye shall rejoice before the Lord your God seven days.⁴¹ And ye shall keep it a feast unto the Lord seven days in the year. It shall be a statute for ever in your generations: ye shall celebrate it in the seventh month.⁴² Ye shall dwell in booths seven days; all that are Israelites born shall dwell in booths: ⁴³ That your generations may know that I made the children of Israel to dwell in booths, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.”  (Leviticus 23:39-43)

This is talking about the Feast of the Tabernacles. It fell in the autumn when the full harvest of corn, wine and oil had been gathered in. It was the last great feast of the year. It was a time of rejoicing and thanksgiving when Israel showed their gratitude to God and remembered that He had delivered them from Egyptian bondage and brought them into a land which produced so many good things.

As Israel was to remember the Feast of Tabernacles for God’s abundance, we should praise God daily for all the great things He has done for us. All of us have been abundantly blessed by God. At the top of that list should be the very fact that God saw fit to save sinners like us. We were undeserving, wayward, wicked, following the ways of this world. God through His mercy and grace extended a hand and allowed us to say “Yes” to Him.

Tomorrow we will look at Purim.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

Good morning,

This week we are looking forward to Memorial Day weekend. So I thought it might be fitting to see what the Bible says about memorials.

A memorial is an object which serves as a focus for memory of something, usually a person (who has died) or an event. The most common type of memorial is the gravestone or the memorial plaque. Also common are war memorials commemorating those who have died in wars.

Each day this week we will look a memorial or something God has told us to remember. Today is Passover.

The Passover

The third memorial is found in Exodus 12:11-14. In the verse leading up to these verses the Israelites are told to take an unblemished lamb and kill it. They shall take the blood from it and place it on the side and tops of the door frames of the houses where they should eat the lamb.

“For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the Lord.¹³ And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.¹⁴ And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the Lord throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever.”

So the Passover was important as a memorial to the Israelites as it reminded them:

1. God’s separation of His people from the Gentiles.
2. God’s protection of His people.
3. God’s deliverance of His people.
4. God’s requirements of His people, that is, dedication to Him.
5. God’s commandment to them to keep the feast annually to remind them of all God had done for them.

God sent Jesus to shed His blood as a once for all sacrifice for our sins. We should separate ourselves from the world and to God. We should dedicate our lives to Him. At the cross Jesus delivered us from our sin debt. He protects us from the temptations of this world.

Think about how the blood changed your life.

Tomorrow Feast of Tabernacles.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

Good morning,

This week we are looking forward to Memorial Day weekend. So I thought it might be fitting to see what the Bible says about memorials.

A memorial is an object which serves as a focus for memory of something, usually a person (who has died) or an event. The most common type of memorial is the gravestone or the memorial plaque. Also common are war memorials commemorating those who have died in wars.

Each day this week we will look a memorial or something God has told us to remember. Today is the bow.

The Rainbow

The second memorial can be found in Genesis 9:12-17.

“And God said, This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations:¹³ I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth.¹⁴ And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud:¹⁵ And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh.¹⁶ And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth.¹⁷ And God said unto Noah, This is the token of the covenant, which I have established between me and all flesh that is upon the earth.” (Genesis 9:12-17)

The memorial is the rainbow, and it is a reminder that God would never again destroy the world by a flood.

In the verses in the above quote, the rainbow is described as a token of the covenant. So God is saying that whenever He sees this sign or monument in the sky, it will remind Him of the covenant between Him and every living creature on the earth. In other words, it is a memorial not only for God but also for us. Whenever we see the rainbow it is to remind us of the covenant, that never again will there be a flood to destroy all life on the earth.

Although God will not destroy the world with a flood, He will destroy the earth with a “fervent heat”.  Second Peter 3:9-13 states, “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. ¹⁰ But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. ¹¹ Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, ¹² Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? ¹³ Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.

In light of these verses it is expedient for us to be ready for the return of the Lord. If you have been putting off getting saved, contact me  and let’s discuss how you can get saved and know it.

Tomorrow we will look at the Passover.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

 

 

 

Good morning,

This week we are looking forward to Memorial Day weekend. So I thought it might be fitting to see what the Bible says about memorials.

A memorial is an object which serves as a focus for memory of something, usually a person (who has died) or an event. The most common type of memorial is the gravestone or the memorial plaque. Also common are war memorials commemorating those who have died in wars.

Each day this week we will look a memorial or something God has told us to remember. Today is The Lord’s Supper.

The Lord’s Supper

The first memorial we are considering in this list is found in Luke 22:19-20.

“And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.²⁰ Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.”  (Luke 22:19-20)

Of course the greatest memorial of them all is the Lord’s Supper which is a reminder of the broken body and shed blood of Christ.

The Communion service is a service of remembrance. It is the equivalent of the Passover feast under the Law of Moses. The Communion pictures Christ’s body and shed blood for our sins.  Keeping this commandment is therefore something we naturally want to do.

Why did Jesus tell us to do this? So we would not forget that the sinless Son of God, came to earth as a man, preached to wicked ungodly men and women, was falsely accused, sentenced, tortured, shed His blood for our sins, crucified, died, was buried, and on the third day rose victorious over sin and the grave.

It was because men and women so quickly forget what great things God has done for them.

Tomorrow we will look at the rainbow.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

 

Good morning,

Deuteronomy 8 is the final challenge and rebuke to Israel. God breaks this down to three points. Remember what God has done, what God will do, and warnings against forgetting the Lord.

1) WHAT GOD HAS DONE (Verses 1-6)

¹ All the commandments which I command thee this day shall ye observe to do, that ye may live, and multiply, and go in and possess the land which the LORD sware unto your fathers.  ²And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no.  ³And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.  ⁴Thy raiment waxed not old upon thee, neither did thy foot swell, these forty years.  ⁵Thou shalt also consider in thine heart, that, as a man chasteneth his son, so the LORD thy God chasteneth thee.  ⁶Therefore thou shalt keep the commandments of the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, and to fear him.

2) WHAT GOD WILL DO (Verses 7-10)

⁷For the LORD thy God bringeth thee into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and depths that spring out of valleys and hills;  ⁸A land of wheat, and barley, and vines, and fig trees, and pomegranates; a land of oil olive, and honey;  ⁹A land wherein thou shalt eat bread without scarceness, thou shalt not lack any thing in it; a land whose stones are iron, and out of whose hills thou mayest dig brass.  ¹⁰When thou hast eaten and art full, then thou shalt bless the LORD thy God for the good land which he hath given thee.

3) WARNINGS AGAINST FORGETTING THE LORD (Verses 11-20)

¹¹ Beware that thou forget not the LORD thy God, in not keeping his commandments, and his judgments, and his statutes, which I command thee this day:  ¹² Lest when thou hast eaten and art full, and hast built goodly houses, and dwelt therein;  ¹³ And when thy herds and thy flocks multiply, and thy silver and thy gold is multiplied, and all that thou hast is multiplied;  ¹⁴ Then thine heart be lifted up, and thou forget the LORD thy God, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage;  ¹⁵ Who led thee through that great and terrible wilderness, wherein were fiery serpents, and scorpions, and drought, where there was no water; who brought thee forth water out of the rock of flint;  ¹⁶ Who fed thee in the wilderness with manna, which thy fathers knew not, that he might humble thee, and that he might prove thee, to do thee good at thy latter end;  ¹⁷ And thou say in thine heart, My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth.  ¹⁸ But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.  ¹⁹ And it shall be, if thou do at all forget the LORD thy God, and walk after other gods, and serve them, and worship them, I testify against you this day that ye shall surely perish.  ²⁰As the nations which the LORD destroyeth before your face, so shall ye perish; because ye would not be obedient unto the voice of the LORD your God.

CONCLUSION:

1. GOD WANTS TO GIVES US HIS VERY BEST
2. HE DEMANDS THAT WE NOT FORGET HIM
3. HE PROMISES TO TAKE AWAY THE BLESSINGS IF WE FAIL TO FOLLOW THE LORD AND COMMANDMENTS.
4. ARE WE WALKING WITH GOD OR IN OPPOSITION TO HIM?
5. LEST THOU FORGET

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

 

 

 

Good morning,

The nation of Israel is preparing to go into the Promised Land. Moses is admonishing the children of Israel not to forget their God. Deuteronomy 6 points to seven principles not to be forgotten.

1) Purpose (Verses 1-2)

Now these are the commandments, the statutes, and the judgments, which the Lord your God commanded to teach you, that ye might do them in the land whither ye go to possess it: That thou mightest fear the Lord thy God, to keep all his statutes and his commandments, which I command thee, thou, and thy son, and thy son’s son, all the days of thy life; and that thy days may be prolonged.

2) Hear (Verses 3-5)

Hear therefore, O Israel, and observe to do it; that it may be well with thee, and that ye may increase mightily, as the Lord God of thy fathers hath promised thee, in the land that floweth with milk and honey.  Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord:  And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.

3) Teach (Verses 6-9)

And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:  And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.  And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes.  And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.

4) Beware (Verse 12)

Then beware lest thou forget the Lord, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.

5) Fear (Verses 13-15)

Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God, and serve him, and shalt swear by his name.  Ye shall not go after other gods, of the gods of the people which are round about you; (For the Lord thy God is a jealous God among you) lest the anger of the Lord thy God be kindled against thee, and destroy thee from off the face of the earth.

6) Keep (Verses 17-18)

Ye shall diligently keep the commandments of the Lord your God, and his testimonies, and his statutes, which he hath commanded thee.  And thou shalt do that which is right and good in the sight of the Lord: that it may be well with thee, and that thou mayest go in and possess the good land which the Lord sware unto thy fathers.

7) Say (Verses 20-21)

And when thy son asketh thee in time to come, saying, What mean the testimonies, and the statutes, and the judgments, which the Lord our God hath commanded you?  Then thou shalt say unto thy son, We were Pharaoh’s bondmen in Egypt; and the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand:

In hindsight we see that Israel did forget. There were times when Israel clung close to God. There were other times when they forsook everything God had taught them.

So you and I need to take this seriously. If we do not continually read and study the Bible, yield to the ministry of the Holy Spirit in our lives, and obey the clear teachings of Scripture, we too will forget and forsake our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

LEST WE FORGET

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

 

 

 

 

 

Good morning,

Three men from different backgrounds, cultures, and time had two things in common, they had faith in the God of the Bible and they sinned. They encompassed Hebrews 11:1, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” and Romans 3:10, “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:” or Romans 3:23, “ For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;” Although God used these men mightily, they still rebelled against the authority of God.

Abraham, David, and Saul (Paul) were men we revere as leaders of the Bible. Yet each one failed to take the moral high ground during their lives.

God chose Abram to be His servant. He blessed him and gave him many precious promises. Abram, then Abraham, went back and forth in his obedience to God. He lied about his relationship to his wife and failed to trust God’s timing for their son Isaac. The results of those choices can be seen in the Middle East today.

God called a shepherd boy to be King of Israel. He stood up to the Philistine giant, Goliath, with faith in God and a sling shot with five smooth stones. He faithfully served God’s man, King Saul, even while Saul was trying to kill him. Then David becomes King and one moral lapse causes him to commit adultery, murder, and disgrace for the nation Israel. The consequences were death in his family and not being able to build the temple.

God chose Saul, a Pharisee and hater of Christians to write, teach, disciple, and help evangelize the world in which he lived. Yet in the beginning it was Saul who sought out believers to imprison, torture, and kill them.

So what is God’s final analysis of these men?

Abraham

“And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.  (James 2:23)

David

“And when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave their testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfill all my will.” (Acts 13:22)

Paul

But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel: For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name’s sake. (Acts 9:15-16)

So what do we learn?

• God uses men and women yielded to Him
• Men and women will fail to obey God
• Men and women may repent and be used of God
• God NEVER gives up on us

Every one of us can be useful in ministry, if we want to be.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

 

Good morning,

This is a devotional we should all take to heart.

Worm-eaten by secret sin!

(Theodore Cuyler, “Beulah-Land” or, Words of Cheer for Christian Pilgrims)

“The righteous will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God. They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green.” Psalm 92:12-14

He alone is a cedar of Christ’s training and polishing–who is sound to the very core! For the cedar was famous for its solidity of wood. It knew no decay. It afforded no asylum to any stealthy insect–which turned its aromatic wood into dust and ashes. So stands every faithful, fearless, unflinching, incorruptible Christian! They bid defiance to the worm of sin while they live, and to the worm of calumny when they are dead.

But insidious worms gnaw out the very heart of the pretended piety of the false professor. When the community is shocked by the scandalous sin of some prominent man in the church–it is only the crack of a beam which was worm-eaten by secret sin long before!

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

Good morning,

Last week I stated that mother’s were unique. God reminded me that when He created man and woman in the Garden of Eden, they were unique.

And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. (Genesis 2:7)

In Chapter 1 of Genesis, God spoke creation into being. He spoke and it was done. In the case of Adam and Eve, God formed man out of the dust of the ground. Then He breathed the breath of life into Adam’s nostrils. That action became a living soul. None of the other creative acts of God were formed from dust, had God breathe into them the breath of life, or had a soul. We were formed truly unique by God. He also made a female from the rib of Adam.

 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. (Genesis 1:27)

But just in case you missed it, David writes:

 For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb.¹⁴ I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.¹⁵ My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.¹⁶ Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them. (Psalm 139:13-16)

God formed Adam and made Eve from the rib of Adam.  Although the process is a little different, God is still making unique men and women. God does not use a cookie cutter to create His children. No two people are the same. Each has their own unique character qualities.

This should be a real encouragement to us. Our God cares enough about each of us to make us His unique creation.

Tom Stearns. WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001